New plans have been introduced to turn London's Heathrow Airport into a mid-sized city. If those plans ever come to fruition, "Heathrow City" would support some 90,000 jobs and 190,000 people, according to Business Insider. It could also add as much as $13 billion to the U.K. economy.
Three proposals have been put forward for the ambitious plan, which include a factory for customizable homes, civic centers, and a "medieval" city center.
These plans will only be explored further if a new airport is built along the Thames Estuary. There are plans for that, too, but it's still uncertain if they'll ever come to fruition. The U.K.'s Airports Commission will decide on the Thames airport plan in September.
Proposal 1: Hawkins/Brown
Hawkins/Brown's idea for Heathrow City include the U.K.'s first airship port, a factory for customizable homes to fill housing demands in the area, and a large park on the airport's former runways, called the Green Belt.
Proposal 2: Maccreanor Lavington
This plan involves a technology campus, a civic center, a retail hub, and Heathrow's Terminal 2, as well as rehabilitating the airport's grounds and planting trees.
Proposal 3: Rick Mather Architects
In this third proposal, former runways would divide the city into different sections based on specializations like education and leisure. It also calls for a medieval city made of existing and new buildings.
Related Stories
Hotel Facilities | Jul 5, 2017
It only took 26 days to complete construction on the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport hotel extension
PPVC techniques allowed the project to save time and manpower.
Airports | Jun 26, 2017
Newark Liberty International Airport breaks ground on $2.4 billion redevelopment project
The project includes a new 1 million-sf terminal building with 33 domestic aircraft gates.
Building Team Awards | Jun 8, 2017
Missing link: Denver International Airport and Transit Center
Gold Award: A new mixed-use transit center fulfills Denver’s 28-year plan to improve access to the nation’s fifth-busiest airport.
Airports | May 15, 2017
Five trends for airport retail
CallisonRTKL Vice President Kevin Horn pinpoints how travel retail is changing dramatically.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Mar 16, 2017
Pols are ready to spend $1T on rebuilding America’s infrastructure. But who will pick which projects benefit?
The accounting and consulting firm PwC offers the industrial sector a five-step approach to getting more involved in this process.
Airports | Feb 23, 2017
New Orleans Airport to add five additional gates and $110 million to current expansion
The project is being hailed as the city’s most transformative since the construction of the Superdome.
Projects | Jan 25, 2017
Trump prioritizes infrastructure projects, as rebuilding America is now a hot political potato
Both parties are talking about $1 trillion in spending over the next decade. How projects will be funded, though, remains unresolved.
Airports | Jan 17, 2017
JFK Airport set for $10 billion renovation
In addition to the airport itself, the overhaul will also improve road and rail access to meet projected passenger growth.
Airports | Dec 6, 2016
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport creates a destination inside Terminal 3
DWL Architects, SmithGroupJJR, and Corgan design passenger experience that connects to the surrounding city and Sonoran desert landscape.
Airports | Nov 1, 2016
FAA forecasts a modest dip in spending for airports over next five years
Latest report based on surveys of 3,340 existing and proposed public-use airports.